Spring cushion for furniture



June 19, 1934. F. x. NEMMER ET AL- SPRING CUSHION FOR FURNITURE FiledAug. 25, '1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR 5 A TTORNEYS June 19, 1934. xNEMMER r AL 1,963,670

SPRING CUSHION FOR FURNITURE Filed Aug. 25, 1952 a Sheets-Sheet 2 WINVENTORS W WM A TTORNEYS' June '19, 1934. F. x. NEMMER ET AL SPRINGCUSHION FOR FURNITURE Filed Aug. 25, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNEY5Patented June 19, 1934 UNITED STATES SPRING CUSHION FOR FURNITURE Frankx. Nemmer and Albert w. Nemmer, Cheektowaga, N. Y.

Application August 25, 1932, Serial No. 630,436

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a spring cushion for use in furniture such aschairs, davenports, lounges, vehicles and the like.v

One of the objects-of this invention is the provision of an improvedbase for the cushion which consists essentially of a bottom and sidewalls formed of sheet metal and thus furnishes a strong and durablesupport for the structure mounted thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved means formounting this base on the furniture frame and securing the fabriccovering of the cushion to the side and rear parts of the base.

A further object of this invention is to provide simple and efiicientstop means for connecting the springs with the base and holding thesprings in an upright position and limiting the expansion of the same. v

A still further object of this invention is to provide superior meansfor securing the retaining frame to the upper ends of the springs.

Additional objects of this invention are to improve the means forsecuring the shape bars to the front edge of the retaining frame; alsoto provide improved means for preventing fore and aft swaying of thecushion; also to improve the means for securing spacing wires to eachother and to the upper ends of the springs forthe purpose of preventingthe latter from shifting sidewise relative to each other; also toprovide an improved brace for rendering the base'more rigid; also toprovide simple means for introducing an agent for exterminating mothsand the like into the interiorof thecushion; also to so organize thecushion that the same operates as a pump for forcing through the fabricthe air laden with fumes for exterminating moths and the like; and alsoto provide practical and inexpensive means for preventing metalliccontact between adjacent convolutions of the springs and thus avoidunpleasant sounds when the cushion is used.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a davenport embodying theseimprovements.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the means forinterlocking the spacing wires and the upper ends of a spring.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner ofsecuring an edge of the cushion covering to a side wall of the base.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section, on an enlarged scale, takenon line 4-4 Fig. 1.

' Figures 5 and 6 are fragmentary vertical longitudinal sections, on anenlarged scale, taken on lines 5-5 and '66 Fig. 1, respectively.

Figure '7 is a vertical cross'section taken on I line 7-7 Fig. 6.. v

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the manner ofconnecting one of the stay rods with the front part of the'retainingframe and the adjacent shape bar. 3

Figure 9 is a similar view of the means for connecting a spring with theadjacent part of the retaining frame.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a clip used for connecting the upperend of a spring with a rod or bar of the retaining frame.

Figures 11 and 12- are fragmentary perspective views showing modifiedforms of the stop means for limiting the expansion of the springs.

In the following description similar characters of reference indicatelike parts in thesev eral figures of the 'drawings:

In its general organization this cushion" for furniture comprisesa'bas'e which -is "ad.apted to be mounted on the frame of a chair,davenport, lounge or other piece of furniture, a resilient means mountedon this base, anda covering extending over the resilient means andattached at its margin to the base and a part of the furniture frame. rV

Although the furniture frame may be variously constructed to suittheparticular character of the piece of furniture which is to bemamfactured and receive the cushion embodying the present invention, thefurniture frame which is shown in the drawings as anexarnple of onesuitable for this purpose is of rectangular or oblong form and comprisesfront and rear longitudinal bars or rails 20, 21 and transverse endbarsor rails 22 connecting the corresponding ends of the front andrearbars. I

These furniture bars may be constructed of any suitable material butwood is preferably used for this purpose and each of these bars is pro-''vided with a rabbet on its upper inner 'corner so as to form anupwardly facing shoulder, 23 thereon. V I

The base of the spring cushion is constructed in the form of arectangular'box or pan which opens upwardly and comprises a horizontalbottom 24,- upright longitudinal side walls 25, 26 extending upwardlyfrom the front and rear edges of the bottom, and upright transverse endwalls 27 extending upwardly from'the transverse edges of the bottom andconnecting ,with the corresponding ends of the longitudinal walls 25 26.The bottom and walls of this base are preferably constructed of sheetmetal such as sheet steel which is stamped or formed into suitableshape, but if desired other metals or materials may be employed for thispurpose.

This box-shaped base is arranged within the furniture frame so that thebottom extends completely across the space within this frame and theupright walls of the base engage with the inner sides of the barsthereof.

Various means may be employed for supporting this base on the furnitureframe together with the parts mounted on the base, but such support ispreferably effected by providing the upper edge of each of the uprightwalls of the base with a flange 23 which extends laterally outward anddownward from the upper edge of each base wall so that the same has theform of a hook and produces a downwardly opening channel or groove 29 onthe underside of this flange, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5, l1 and 12. Whenmounting this base on the furniture frame the lower edge of the flanges28 rest on the shoulders 23 of the rabbets on the several frame bars,and the tops of these flanges are flush with the upper sides ofrtheframe bars, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

When the base is of oblong form and of considerable length, as isusually the case when a piece of furniture receiving this spring cushionconsists of a davenport, lounge or similar article of furniture, thenthe bottom of the base is reinforced or strengthened at one or morepoints intermediate of its length so as to increase its rigidity anddurability. In the drawings a single reinforcement or strengtheningdevice is shown for this purpose and this comprises a transversereinforcing bar or brace 30 constructed of sheet metal so as to be ofhollow form, and secured on its underside to the upper side of thebottom 24, while its opposite ends are secured by means of brackets 17to the adjacent parts of the inner sides of the front and rear walls ofthe base, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5.

This means of mounting the base of the cushioning device on thefurniture frame avoids the necessity of actually fastening the base tothe furniture frame but instead permits the base to be merely loweredinto the furniture frame when assembling the parts and lifted therefromwhen dismembering the parts, thereby permitting the spring cushion ofwhich the base forms an element to be manufactured as complete unitswhich are operative without depending upon any connection with thefurniture frame for this purpose. Obviously such construction permits ofmanufacturing the frames and the spring cushions wholly independently ofeach other and then assembling the same easily and expeditiously forcompleting the construction of the respective piece of furniture.

Within the base is arranged the resilient means which provide theyielding support forming part of the cushion, and these yielding meansinclude a plurality of upright helical springs 31 each of which ispreferably of double conical form with the large ends of the cones atthe lower and upper ends of the spring, such as are now in common use inupholstery, mattresses and the like. Each of these springs is made ofresilient wire and rests with its lowermost convolution on the upperside of the base bottom. The means for fastening each of these springsin the bottom of the base preferably consist of a plurality of attachingloops 32 which are struck up from the bottom of the base and receive thelowermost convolution of the respective spring, as shown in Figs. 1, 4and 5.

These springs may be disposed within the base in any suitable manner butpreferably are arranged in the form of a plurality of longitudinal rows,the springs of which are so spaced that they also form a plurality oftransverse rows. Those springs of the entire group which are arranged onthe border of the group are placed close to the upright walls of thebase so as to afford the maximum resilient support on the marginal partof the cushion.

Above the group of springs and adjacent to the marginal parts of theoutermost springs of this group a top retaining frame is provided whichpreferably consists of wire and comprises front and rear longitudinalrods 33, 34 which are fas tened to the outer parts of the uppermostconvolutions of the springs at the front and rear end of the cushion,and transverse rods 35 connecting the corresponding ends of thelongitudinal rods 33, 34 and fastened to the outermost parts of theuppermost convolutions of the springs arranged at opposite ends of thecushion.

The connection between the rods of the top retaining frame and each ofsaid springsis preferably effected by means of a clip 36 which is madeof sheet metal and which has an elongated body 37 of considerable areawhich is adapted to engage with one side of the uppermost convolution ofa spring and the corresponding side of the adjacent top retaining framerod, a single lip 38 arranged on one longitudinal edge of the clip body37 between the ends thereof and adapted to be wrapped around one of themembers which is to be connected by the clip, and two lips 39 arrangedon the opposite edge of the clip body adjacent to opposite ends thereofand adapted to be wound or wrapped around the other one of the memberswhich is to be connected, as best shown in Figs. 9 and 10.

This form of clip is very simple and inexpensive in construction and canbe readily applied to the wires which are to be connected withoutproducing a bulky formation thereon, inasmuch as the central lip 33 onone edge of the clip is located between the end lips 39 on the oppositeedge of the clip body after the clip has been applied to the respectiveparts which are to be con-. nected, as shown in Fig. 9.

In order to retain the upper ends of the several springs in their-properrelative position and prevent the same from becoming displaced stayingor retaining means are provided which preferably comprise a plurality oflongitudinal stay wires 40 which are connected with the uppermostconvolutions of the several springs and the transverse rods 35 of thetop retaining frame, and a plurality of transverse stay wires 41 whichare connected with the uppermost convolutions of the several springs andthe front and rear longitudinal rods 33 and 34 of the top retainingframe.

The ends of these stay wires are preferably connected with therespective top frame rods by twisting these ends around said rods, andthe longitudinal wires and transverse wires of these spring stayingmeans are interwoven with each other so as to form a connection betweenthe same and prevent displacement of these wires relatively to eachother. These stay wires are also arranged in pairs, and adjacent to theuppermost convolution of each of the springs one pair of these staywires is so constructed that the same is interlocked with another pairof stay wires arranged at right angles thereto, and also interlockedwith the uppermost convolution of the. respective spring.

This formation of connecting two pairs of angularly disposed stay wireswith each other and with a spring is best shown in Figures 1, 2, 4 and 5and is constructed as follows:-

Each member of one pair of stay wires is provided with a central crimp42 which is'bent in one direction, and two side crimps 43 which are bentin the-opposite direction, and the. crimps of one of these stay wiresextend in a direction opposite to the corresponding crimps on thecompanion stay wire. In connecting these last-men tioned wires to aconvolution of one of the springs 31 the central crimp 42 of, one ofthese wires is engaged with the upper side of apart of the spring 31,and a central crimp 42 of the companion staywire is engaged with theunderside of the respective part of said spring, and each of the twoadjacent stay wires'which are arranged at right angles to thefirst-mentioned pair of stay wires engages its upper side with theunderside of one :of the crimps 43 and engages its underside with theupper side of the crimp 43 in the companion stay wire, as shown in Fig.2. It follows that the two pairs of stay wires at right angles toeachother are interwoven with each other and therefore interlocked andare also connected with the adjacent part of a cushion spring in amanner which reliably holds these stay wires against sliding one uponanother, and also holding the respective spring against displacementrelative to other springs, thereby distributing and maintaining auniform resilience in the cushion over the entire area of the same,which not only provides a uniform cushioning effect but also increasesthe durability and life of the cushion as a whole.

Stop means are provided for limiting the expansion of the severalsprings but permitting compression of thesame, which stop means orlimiting means in the preferred form of our invention, and as shown inFigs. 1, 4 and 5, are constructed as follows:-

The numeral 44 represents a plurality of upright stop lines or flexiblemembers which are preferably constructed in the form of chains and areconnected at their upper ends at intervals with the several bars or rodsof the top retaining frame, while their lower ends are connected withthe upper edge of the walls of the base. The last-mentioned connectionis preferably effected through the medium of corrugated or crimped wires45 which are secured lengthwise to the upper side of the flanges 28 onthe base walls so as to form a plurality of upwardly projecting loops,to one orthe other of which the lower end of an adjacent stop line orchain 44 may be secured. By this means the lower end of each stop lineor chain 44 may be attached to whatever loop of the crimped wire 45 ismost convenient'to suit the particular location of the respective stopline or chain with reference to the other parts of the cushioning deviceand thereby avoids the necessity of exercising any particular care inlocating the fastening means, whereby the lower ends of these stop lines44 are connected with the base. This manner of fastening the stop linesto the base is also very simple and economical when compared withmeansheretofore employed for this purpose, inasmuch as it permits ofassembling the parts more expeditiously.

The numeral 46 represents additional stop lines or chainswhich areinclined andconnected at their upper'rea'r ends with the inner parts of,the front springs at the top thereof, while their lower front ends areconnected with one or another of the loops of the crimped wire 45 on'thefront part of the base in the same manner in which this is done withreference to the stop lines or chains 44. The lines or chains 46 inaddition to limiting theexpansion of the springs also assist inpreventing backward swaying of the upper ends of the springs and the topframe.

The modified form of the means shown in Fig. 11 for connecting thelimiting lines 44 with the base consists of an attaching rod 47 engagingwith the top of a flange 28 of the base and provided at intervals withcrimps or loops 48 which project upwardly through openings 49 in the topof the flange 28, and connected with the lower ends of the chains 44.

If desired, the top of the-flange 28 of the base may be provided atintervals with loops 50 which are struck up out of the stock of thisflange and connected with the lower ends of the limiting lines-or chains44.

For the purpose of imparting an ornamental appearance to the front ofthe davenport, lounge or chair the spring cushion is provided on itsupper front part with one or more shape bars or rods 51, which, as shownin Fig. 1, are curved forwardly and connected by means of clips 52 orotherwise with thefront rod or bar 33 of the top retaining frame. Thisshape bar is adapted to overhang the front bar 20 of the furniture frameand the covering of the cushion is adapted to be draped around the samein .a manneras will be presently described.

Means are providedfor preventing the upper part of 1 the cushion fromswaying unduly back and forth while in use, which means comprise aplurality of anti-swaying rods 53 which are arranged transversely inthe-space between the base and the top retaining frame of the cushion.Each of these anti-swaying bars is arranged at anangle and pivotallyconnected at its rear lower end with the bottom of the base by means ofa pivothook 54 arranged at the rear end of the respective anti-swayingbar, and engaging with a pivot loop 55 which is struck up from theadjacent part of the base bottom, as 'shown in Figs. land 4; At itsfront end each of the stays or anti-swaying bars 53 is provided with aneye 56 which is bent around a downwardly projecting crimp 57 on one ofthe shape bars 51 was to not only connect these parts but also interlockthem and prevent the anti-swayingbar from slipping lengthwise on theshape bar, thereby insuringagainst displacement of these partsrelatively to each other and maintaining the front part of the cushionin its proper shape. The intermediate part of each of the anti-swayingbars is pro-- vided with a laterally projecting crimp or loop 58 whichinterlocks with a crimp or loop 59 on 135 the adjacent part of the frontrod or bar 33 of the top frame, as best shown in Fig. 8, thereby formingan interlocking connection between this anti-swaying bar-and the topframe which permits the rod 33 and the bar 52- to turn relativelyto'each other, but prevents the same from be-' coming displaced eitherin aft or fore of the cushion and also lengthwise of the cushionrelativeto one another.

A covering extends over the top of the resili- 1 ent means'of thecushion,'which covering preferably consists of any suitable flexiblefabric or textile material similar to that now commonly. in use forupholstery work. This. covering com- 150 prises an upper substantiallyhorizontal sheet which rests on the top of the springs, the topretaining frame, the shape bars and the stay wires connected therewith;end flaps 61 extending downwardly from opposite transverse edges of thistop sheet along the corresponding outer parts of the cushion andconnected at their lower ends with the transverse flanges of the base; arear flap 62 extending downwardly from the rear edge of the top sheet 60along the rear part of the cushion and connected at its lower edge withthe rear part of the base; and a front flap 63 extending downwardly fromthe edge of the top sheet 60 along the front side of the resilient meansand connected at its lower edge with the front side of the frontfurniture bar 20 by means of tacks 64, as shown in Fig. 4, or by anyother suitable means.

The connection between the transverse walls and the rear wall of thebase and the lower edges of the transverse end. flaps and the rear longitudinal flap of the covering is preferably efiected by utilizing thechannel-shaped flanges on the corresponding parts of the base for thispurpose. This is accomplished by folding the lower edge portions of therear flap and end flaps of the covering around the lower edges of thecorresponding hook-shaped flanges of the respective walls of the base,as shown at 19 in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, and then doubling the lower edgeportions of these flaps so that they engage with the concave or innerside of these flanges, as shown at 18 in the same figures, and thenclamping these doubled portions of the covering flaps in these channelsby means of clamping bars or strips 65, which latter are pushed upwardlyinto the inner sides of the doubled portions of these flaps and pressthe same tightly against the concave inner sides of these flanges, asshown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5.

These clamping strips are so proportioned that the same produce a wedgeaction upon those portions of the covering flaps which are arrangedwithin the wall flanges and exert a grip against the same which willhold these flaps frictionally within these flanges and preventdisconnection of these parts while in use. When this spring cushiondevice is assembled with the furniture frame the underside of theseveral clamping strips 65 engage with the shoulders or shelves 23 whichare formed on the furniture frame bars or rails for the reception ofthis cushion, thereby confining these clamping strips within thechannel-shaped flanges of the base walls and insuring a firm connectionof the covering flaps with the respective parts of the base.

Additional means may be provided for preventing a separation of theclamping strips from the base flanges, such as the punch marks or spurs66 which are preferably struck out of the stock of the base walls inline with the channels of the hooks, and engaging these spurs orindentations with the inner sides of the clamping bar 65, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5, thereby positively preventing separation of theseclamping strips under all circumstances, particularly when transportingthe spring cushions from one place to another while assembling the samewith the furniture frames.

It has been found in practice when using springs of the character shownin the drawings in upholstery that the lowermost metallic convolutionsof the springs when engaged by the next upper convolutions of thesesprings, and upon compressing the latter, a metallic noise is liable tobe produced which is objectionable. In order to avoid metallicengagement of the lower convolutions of the springs silencing means areprovided which in their preferred form consist of strips 67 of burlap orsimilar woven or flexible material placed upon the bottom of the baseand between the lowermost convolutions of the springs and the next upperconvolutions of the same, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. The presence ofthese silencing strips between the respective convolutions of thesprings prevents the latter from coming into metallic engagement witheach other as the cushion is compressedand insures quiet working of thesprings at all times, and thereby avoids the annoyance which somepersons experience when using spring cushions in which such silencingmeans are not present.

In the present spring cushion the space between the base and thecovering is practically closed when this cushion is mounted on thefurniture frame ready for use. It therefore follows that when thesprings are compressed by a person sitting on the cushion and thesprings are again permitted to expand when the load is removedtherefrom, a pumping action is produced which has the effect ofexpelling air from within the cushion to the exterior thereof and alsodrawing air from the exterior of the cushion to the interior thereof.This pumping action is advantageously utilized in the present case byplacing an exterminating element within the space enclosed by 105 thetight base of the spring cushion and the relatively tight covering whichis secured over the same and to the furniture frame.

Such an exterminating element may consist of a cake 63 of volatilematerial of any suitable 110 character, having the capacity ofdestroying moths or the like which usually infest the edibleconstituents in the fabric of which some parts of the upholstery uponthe cushion or adjacent thereto are manufactured. The fumes or vapors115 given ofi from this exterminator or germicide 68 become mingled withthe air within the spring cushion and as the latter is alternatelycompressed and expanded the insecticide-laden air is forced back andforth through the fabric of the 120 upholstery associated with thespring cushion, and thereby either destroys the moths or the like whichusually attack such upholstery or stupefles the same so'that they arepractically harmless, and in in any event renders the edible parts ofthe upholstery unattractive so that the same are not likely to beinhabited by moths or'other destructive insects or vermin.

The moth exterminator or insecticide may be introduced into the spacewithin the spring cushion in any suitable manner but preferably byproviding the bottom 24 of the base at some accessible place with anopening 69 through which the moth exterminator, such as the mothdestroying agent 68, may be introduced into the cushion and depositedupon the top of the base bottom, as shown in Fig. 1, and after thisexterminator has been introduced into the cushion the opening 69 may beclosed so as to render the interior of the cushion practically air-tightby means of a horizontally movable slide '70 which is guided in ways '71on the underside of the base bottom and provided with an opening '72which is adapted to move into and out of register with the opening 69 inthe base bottom. 145

In order to avoid complete separation of the slide '70 from the bottomof the base, stop means are provided consisting of a stop lug 73depending from the underside of the bottom 24 and adapted to engageeither end of the opening 72 5 in the slide for the purpose of arrestingits movement at either extreme of its complete stroke when opening orclosing the same.

As a whole this spring cushion is comparatively simple in construction,it has no parts which are liable to get out of order, thereby insuringmaintenance of the same in a satisfactory and operative condition for anindefinite time, and the same is also capable of being manufactured atlow cost, thereby effecting a considerable economy in the use offurniture of this character.

We claim as our invention:

A spring cushion for furniture comprising a base having a bottom, sidewalls rising from said base, and downwardly turned flanges at the up-FRANK X. NEMMER. ALBERT W. NEMMER.

